


Posterity

by Dedicate Kiwicrocus (cranky__crocus)



Series: SMACKDOWN '11 Round Two - Team Discipline [41]
Category: Emelan - Tamora Pierce
Genre: F/F, Gen, Goldenlake, smackdown
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-02
Updated: 2011-06-02
Packaged: 2017-10-20 01:32:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/207378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cranky__crocus/pseuds/Dedicate%20Kiwicrocus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Then she got to work, smiling down at a painting of Rosethorn and Lark, the prior glaring with a grin and the latter smiling at her, arm over her shoulder.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Posterity

**Author's Note:**

> Written for SMACKDOWN at Goldenlake: fiefgoldenlake.proboards.com
> 
> Shameless self-insert. I always wanted to make sure that Rosethorn and Lark were remembered. I suppose this was my way of making sure that came true in a manner.

Novice Crocus stared out the window. She frowned at the aeroplane flying over Winding Circle, recognising that such devices were a large part of human-kind’s damage to the earth—which was driving her to her vows. Unfortunately the reminder did not make it any easier to offer her attention to her compulsory history lesson with the dry-voiced Air Dedicate and a number of other less-than-attentive novices.

            “The 11th century brought advancements in technology—like the ‘boomstones’ and ‘black powder’ we covered last week—but is more importantly known as the Rise of the Circle.”

            Crocus rolled her eyes. Surely this was going to become another preaching session on the _importance of inter-disciplinary teamwork_ , and harp on about how they had to befriend each other despite the different personalities associated with the elements. It wasn’t as if she’d heard it more times than she had fingers and toes, or anything.

            “Posterity reveals that it is not their magic itself that was extraordinary—though the Circle were credentialed great-mages young, as you’ll recall—but their bond. For this reason, I have created two assignments for you.”

            A novice in the back corner groaned and dropped her head; Crocus bit back her laughter, despite being equally displeased: there was a festival on next week and work over a festival was never much fun.

            Dedicate Assignment-Happy sniffed and raised his eyebrow at the novice, but carried on without comment. “The first will continue into summer, but you must first choose your groups.”

            Crocus _did_ groan in the back of her throat then, more of a private rumble: if there was anything worse than an assignment, surely it was a _group_ assignment.

            “You are to form groups of four with other novices of the temple. The groups must be made up of four novices that represent interest in the four temples: air, earth, fire, water. Come to me next week with your list.”

            Crocus wrote it on her slate, quiet as could be; she heard chalk squeak from across the room.

            “Another remarkable aspect of the Circle’s success was their teachers, each a great-mage and as powerful as each Circle member would become separately, though the teachers did not share a similar bond. Fire Dedicate Frostpine taught Daja Kisubo from the forge; Academic Great-Mage Niklaren Goldeye taught Trisana Chandler through travelling lessons. Sandrilene fa Toren and Briar Moss were taught by Earth Dedicates Lark and Rosethorn, who ran Discipline Cottage.”

            Crocus perked up, suddenly interested in the man’s words far more than the bending of tree-branches in the breeze outside the window. She knew Discipline—despite centuries of re-building and care it was run-down now, after the expansion to the dormitories and incorporation of more private lodgings for difficult novices—and went there often to read. Two women running a cottage would always capture her interest.

            “To exemplify Winding Circle’s historical avant-garde open-mindedness, I state here that the two were openly involved, polyamorous but primary partners.”

            A slow smile spread over Crocus’s face. History had just become _interesting_.

            “But that is a digression; I thought it might interest some of you.” Dedicate Southwind—he had earned his name back—glanced in Crocus’s direction, and though his expression did not change, his eyes were light. Crocus grinned at him and nodded. “I mention the teachers because this will be your next assignment: research past dedicates—or mages, for those like Niklaren—who are known for their teaching methodology as well as personal achievement. In three weeks you all will present these to the class and a number of invited dedicates. Prepare to stay late; I will have the kitchen deliver food as we will all stay to discuss at length afterwards. Two weeks later I will get you all in touch with a dedicate or mage within the temple, someone to act as a teacher and mentor. This will be based on the choice of your presentation and the points you bring up, so please do put some real _effort_ into this—it will be long-lasting.”

            Crocus was so close to bursting that she could hardly pay attention to Southwind’s list of suggested books, but she managed to scribble down a few key words. She already knew who she would be choosing—Dedicate Rosethorn had always been a favourite of hers. She’d skip the midday meal and hurry to the library to snatch up a book, then bring it to old Discipline to take notes.

            An hour later she smiled down at the book. There was a whole chapter dedicated to _Life at Discipline_ —she nearly felt the cottage buzzing with their presence behind her back—and another for _Rosethorn and Lark_. It seemed Lark brought the soothing and Rosethorn brought the snark. Sounded simply marvellous to her.

            But, more importantly, Crocus found that just as the Circle’s magic was not what made them special but their _bond_ , Lark and Rosethorn’s gender was not responsible for their importance: that would be the women themselves, and their endless dedication to each other, love, teaching and righting the world wherever wrong settled itself. That was absolutely worth learning.

            Crocus scribed a thank-you note to Dedicate Southwind, and then a second to Dedicate Rosethorn and Dedicate Lark of Discipline—though they would never see it, long-gone as they were. She was grateful the cottage had always been rebuilt to emulate its first foundation as she slipped the thin parchment under a plank of the wooden workroom addition. Then she got to work, smiling down at a painting of Rosethorn and Lark, the prior with narrowed eyes and the hint of a grin and the latter smiling at her, arm over her shoulder. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! C:


End file.
